Highway death toll, Missoula homeless, veterans

More fatal motor vehicle crashes occur in the warm, busy travel season than on snowpacked and icy winter roads.

However, with two months of summer gone, there are fewer fatalities in 2014 than at the same point in 2013 and 2012.

As of Monday, the Montana Highway Patrol had counted 99 fatalities so far this year. Terrible as that toll is, it was worse last year with 118 in late July and 117 in 2012.

The number of motorcycle fatalities decreased from 15 by this time last year to eight so far this year.

Likewise, the number of pedestrian deaths has been reduced from nine last year to five. One bicyclist was killed this year, although none had been by this time last year.

Even when daytime skies are clear and roads are dry, speed, alcohol and lack of seat belts kill. The best route for a safe trip is always to stay sober, alert and buckled up.

— From billingsgazette.com

Homeless in Missoula

Missoulian, Opinion, Wednesday:

Missoula is not prepared to help entire neighborhoods on the verge of homelessness.

That sad fact is being made glaringly apparent as dozens of former residents of a trailer park on Third Street desperately search for new homes.

The trailer park is the site of planned new development, and while this development is welcome, the loss of so many affordable homes in the center of the city, and all at once, is not.

Hansen’s Trailer Park on South Third Street West has been a trailer park for at least 55 years.

Most recently, its owner sold it to a development group that intends to build a 90-unit apartment building on the back portion of the property, and is moving forward with plans to turn a portion of the front into an auto parts retailer.

The previous owner notified residents of the intended sale, and residents were also given six months’ notice to vacate the property. The owners of 21 trailers were evicted at the end of June. The last of the residents must be out by October.

— From missoulian.com

Assisting veterans

The Western Word, Great Falls, Tuesday, by Jackie M. Brown:

Members of Congress had better watch out. If they end up compromising and working together to pass a veterans reform bill, more than 15 percent of Americans just might approve of the job they are doing.

I know, I know, that’s probably a stretch.

According to The Hill (publication), if passed, the veterans’ reform bill “would provide $10 billion for veterans to seek private care at hospitals and clinics outside the VA, and $5 billion to allow the department to hire more doctors, nurses and medical staff. Another $1.5 billion could be spent on leases to use other medical facilities at 27 sites around the country.”

The bill gives the new Veterans Affairs secretary the ability “to fire staff at a department where officials covered up the long waits many veterans endured to get health care.”

I’ve written several times that there needs to be significant changes in the way VA care is delivered. We can’t build or lease space for a VA clinic in every town because it’s remote. What we can do is give veterans access to civilian healthcare in their hometown — and it would be free for service-connected veterans.

One of the leaders of the compromise and deal-making was Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT. Sanders is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

He is not a veteran. House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., was the leader on the House side. He is also not a veteran.

Nonetheless, Sanders and Miller reached a deal. It does not give everyone what they wanted. The Senate bill that was passed in June would cost $35 billion and the House bill that was passed would cost $44 billion. This new bill is around $17 billion.

The House and the Senate should pass this bill before they leave for August recess.

If they have to stay a few extra days to get it done, do it. Veterans are counting on you.